The present invention relates to fasteners, and more especially to safety fasteners for use with items of jewelry, leashes, sports articles or the like.
The safety fastener according to the invention will hereafter be described with reference to its application as a fastener for jewelry items, such as necklaces, bracelets or the like. However, it should be understood that, depending upon its dimensions and/or materials, the fastener can also be used for other purposes mentioned above, as well as for still further purposes which are within the general ambit outlined by those mentioned above.
Fasteners used for jewelry articles (usually clasps of one kind or another) have the disadvantage of being less than safe, insofar as their security against coming apart unintendedly is concerned. As a result it is customary, at least in the case of valuable jewelry, to provide an additional short chain which connects the ends of the necklace, bracelet or the like together so as to act as a safety device against unintended separation of the fastener. This, of course, makes it more complicated to put the jewelry piece in place and to remove it again.
In part, at least, these problems can be traced to the size of such fasteners. Jewelry pieces require small fasteners; such small fasteners can be used only with small safety springs and these, unfortunately, often cause the fastener to malfunction because they are too weak. Larger fasteners, having a more solid construction, are generally such that miniaturization for another use (e.g. for use with jewelry) is impossible.